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Cinema Chat: Cinetopia Lineup, 'Pope Francis,' 'Deadpool 2,' And More

Cinetopia
Cinetopia Film Festival
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cinetopia.org

In this week's "Cinema Chat," WEMU's David Fair sits down with Michigan and State Theater executive director Russ Collins to talk about the all of the new films hitting the silver screen this weekend.  Plus, they talk about the latest news out of Cinetopia!

CINETOPIA FILM FESTIVAL – May 31-June 10

Opening night film, May 31:

8:00 - "Eighth Grade"-- opening night! Special guest Director Bo Burnham.  LOVED this film @ Sundance!!

Friday, June 1:

5:45 - "Hal"– Documentary on Director Hal Ashby (Harold & Maude, Shampoo, The Last Detail, Coming Home, Being There)

9:00 - "A Boy. A Girl. A Dream: Love On Election Night" directed by Qasim Basir.  The screening will be at the Michigan Theater.  Qasim, also known as “Q,” is from Ann Arbor (Huron High graduate).  Staring Omari Hardwick (TV-Saved and Dark Blue, Being Mary Jane; movies-The A-Team, Kick-Ass, Tyler Perry’s For Colored Girls…) and Meagan Good.  They will join Q at the screening – as will Samantha Tanner, who co-wrote the film.  There will be romance flickering on the screen and last year, Q and Samantha created additional romantic excitement when they became engaged during Cinetopia last year at the screening of Q’s film “Destined.” 

Saturday, June 2:

12:05 – Children’s Film Fest (from Seattle) – FREE

4:00 – "American Animals" – art heist thriller by BAFTA winning dir. Bart Layton.  Free for MT members

7:00 – "The Big House" – great doc on UM Football Stadium

9:45 – "Night is Short, Walk On Girl" – Comedy from Japan

Sunday, June 3:

12:15 – Skyline High’s Legacy Project FREE

12:30 – "Butterflies"– Turkish comedy

5:00 – "Savage Youth" – Crime drama, directed by EMU grad Michael Curtis Johnson– whose Hunky Dory was a hit at the 2016 Cinetopia Festival.  Michael will be at the screening!

7:00 – "Ray Meets Helen," starring Keith Carradine and Sondra Locke, directed by Alan Rudolph (The Moderns, Choose Me, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle) disciple of and assistant director for Robert Altman.

Monday & Tuesday, June 4-5:

Alan Rudolph Symposium at the UM PLUS Festival Screening continue!!

"Blindspotting" – written and starring Daveed Digs ("Hamilton")

"Love, Gilda" – closes the festival

BUY YOUR PASS HERE AND BUY TICKETS HERE

OPENING DOWNTOWN

"A Quiet Place"

At the State Theatre: Emily Blunt and Writer/Director John Krasinski star in the modern horror thriller.  A family of four must navigate their lives in silence after mysterious creatures that hunt by sound threaten their survival.  If they hear you, they hunt you.

"Pope Francis: A Man of His Word"

And at the Michigan: Wim Wenders' new documentary is intended to be a personal journey with Pope Francis, rather than a biographical documentary about him.  The Pope's ideas and his message are central to this documentary, which sets out to present his work of reform and his answers to today's global questions.  From his deep concern for the poor and wealth inequality, to his involvement in environmental issues and social justice, Pope Francis engages the audience face-to-face and calls for peace.

SPECIAL SCREENINGS DOWNTOWN 

"Lives Well Lived"

Playing tonight, Thursday, May 17th at 7:00 PM, this is a feature documentary film from Director Sky Bergman celebrating the wit and wisdom of adults 75 to 100 years-old living life to the fullest.  Encompassing over 3000 years of experience, forty people share their secrets and insights to living a meaningful life.  This fundraising event for Big Hearts for Seniors also includes a Q & A after the film with Bergman moderated by the UM School of Public Health’s Vic Strecher.

CONTINUING DOWNTOWN

"RBG"

At the Michigan: The highly anticipated new documentary from CNN Films is an intimate portrait of an unlikely rock star:Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  With unprecedented access, the filmmakers explore how her early legal battles changed the world for women.

"Itzhak"

This is a documentary that looks at the life, work and religious heritage of violinist Itzhak Perlman.  From Schubert to Strauss, Bach to Brahms, Mozart to...Billy Joel, Perlman's violin playing transcends mere performance to evoke the celebrations and struggles of real life.  As charming and entrancing as the famous violinist himself, "Itzhak" is a portrait of musical virtuosity seamlessly enclosed in warmth, humor, and above all, love.

"Tully"

From the writer/director team of Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman(Juno, Young Adult), and starring Charlize Theron.  Theron plays Marlo, a mother of three who is gifted a night nanny by her brother.  Though hesitant to the extravagance at first, Marlo comes to form a unique bond with the thoughtful, surprising and sometimes challenging young nanny named Tully.  Also starring Mackenzie DavisMark Duplass, and Ron Livingston.

"Isle of Dogs"

From Wes Anderson, this film follows a group of canine pets who have been exiled to a vast garbage-dump called Trash Island.  When a 12-year-old boy sets off alone in search of his bodyguard-dog, Spots, the group of dogs travel the island with him in the search,featuring the voices Bryan CranstonEdward NortonBill MurrayScarlett JohanssonJeff Goldblum, and more.

"The Death of Stalin"

The latest comedic satire from Armando Iannuccicontinues for another week, which depicts the chaos that fell on the Soviet regime after the death of their powerful leader.

OPENING AT THE MULTIPLEX

"Deadpool 2"

Ryan Reynolds returns as the wisecracking mercenary Deadpool, joining forces with three new mutants -- Bedlam, Shatterstar and Domino -- to protect a boy from the all-powerful villain Cable.

"Book Club"

Diane (played by Diane Keaton) is recently widowed after 40 years of marriage, Vivian (played by Jane Fonda) enjoys her men with no strings attached, Sharon (played by Candice Bergen) is still working through her decades-old divorce, and Carol's (played by Mary Steenburgen) marriage is in a slump after 35 years.  The lives of these four lifelong friends are turned upside down after reading the infamous "50 Shades of Grey," catapulting them into a series of outrageous life choices.

"Show Dogs"

This is a family comedy about the unlikely pairing of a human detective (played by Will Arnett) and his canine partner (voice of Chris "Ludacris" Bridges), who has to go undercover at the world's most exclusive dog show, held in Las Vegas, to solve his biggest case yet.

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— David Fair is the WEMU News Director and host of Morning Edition on WEMU.  You can contact David at734.487.3363, on twitter @DavidFairWEMU, or email him at dfair@emich.edu

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